Temperature and time control of electrical heating device

ABSTRACT

In a method for temperature and time control of electrical heating devices installed at an end user to optimize energy consumption and energy costs, where a dedicated control system is employed for the control, a local control unit is connected to an electrical heating device for control thereof. The end user supplies a desired user profile for the heating device to the control system which optimizes energy and power consumption on the basis of both the user profile and the operating and capacity conditions in the power supply network. The control commands are transferred to the local control unit. In addition to a dedicated control system for implementation of the method, a control and communication structure includes local control units installed at end users and one or more communication interfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a method for temperature and time control ofelectrically-operated heating devices installed at an end user in orderto optimize energy consumption and energy costs, wherein the end user isconnected to a power supply network, and wherein there is employed forthe control a dedicated control system which forms part of a control andcommunication structure. The invention also concerns a control andcommunication structure for temperature and time control ofelectrically-operated heating devices installed at an end user in orderto optimize energy consumption and energy costs, wherein the end user isconnected to a power supply network, and wherein the control andcommunication structure comprises a dedicated control system and one ormore communication interfaces. Finally, the invention concerns a localcontrol unit for use in a control and communication structure fortemperature and time control of electrically-operated heating devicesinstalled at an end user in order to optimize energy consumption andenergy costs, wherein the end user is connected to a power supplynetwork, and wherein the control and communication structure comprises adedicated control system and one or more communication interfaces,together with an application of the local control unit.

In order to achieve efficient exploitation of energy resources, it is ofvital importance to be able to monitor and control the consumption ofelectrical energy, thus optimizing energy consumption on the basis ofone or more criteria, such as minimizing energy costs or minimizingpower consumption or a combination of such criteria. Methods and systemsare known which perform various forms of optimization of the consumptionof electrical energy. For example, systems are known which provide alocal optimization of the energy consumption and a restriction of themaximum power. Where such local systems comprise a number of elements,the communication between the elements in the system is conducted bymeans of cable-borne communication. In such local systems it is thelocal user, consumer or end user who sets up the optimization criteria.EP-A-0688085 discloses an energy control system in which a centralcontrol device controls thermal units used in heating a building withreference to information relating to tariff changes so as to maintaintemperature within preset bounds while resulting in minimum cost.

There are also known systems which employ different types ofcommunication systems, such as radio communication, carrier wavecommunication on the power network and continuous control of energy andpower consumption in a distribution network with end user loads. Insystems of this kind it is the operation manager or the operator of thepower supply network who sets up the optimization criteria.

The disadvantage of the known systems for optimizing the electricalenergy consumption is that they either consider only the end user'srequirements and not the capacity and operating conditions of the powersupply system, or they show primary consideration towards the latter,but not to the end user's requirements. Moreover, systems which requirefrequent monitoring of the end user are based on sampling and recordingof power consumption and transfer of measurements to a control centre,from where energy consumption and power consumption can be controlledaccording to more closely specified criteria. This is based on a two-waycommunication, eventually resulting in comprehensive and costly measuresfor conducting the communication and handling often substantial amountsof data. In order to avoid this and achieve benefits in efficiency, ithas been proposed that well-defined categories of end users should bemonitored, based on representative selections, resulting in a centralcontrol of power consumption based on statistical optimizationparameters.

In general, it can be said that as a rule the prior art in optimizationof the consumption of electrical energy requires substantial investmentin components and considerable installation costs. No attempt has beenmade to integrate different forms of control, such as control ofthermostats, control of power, energy, time control, switch functionsand central communication in one and the same unit, even though thisappears to be an essential condition for achieving the necessaryflexibility in the optimization.

Furthermore, the known systems can entail considerable operating costswhich generally have to be covered by the operating manager for thepower supply network or the owners thereof.

The systems currently in use for power control in local distributionnetworks are controlled centrally, thus offering the end user littleopportunity of influencing the system, and the end user has noopportunity whatever of influencing either his own energy consumptionprofile or the power supply system's total energy consumption profile.

Control concepts based on continuous control (ripple control) andcarrier wave communication on the power link, employ units which areplaced in fuse boxes and the like on the premises of the end user, anddo not permit, e.g., control of a medium which has to be heated byelectrical heating devices. In the case of local systems which providethe opportunity for temperature control, these generally comprise anumber of units and communication between the units is generallyconducted on a cable-borne system. These systems are usually limited toa building complex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus the object of the present invention is to achieve greaterflexibility in optimizing the electrical energy consumption, oralternatively to achieve a more satisfactory control of the powerconsumption from the point of view of both the energy supplier and theend user. A second object is that the present invention should providean optimization which takes into account the fact that the energy marketis generally deregulated, and that costs and prices are controlled byfactors which in the final analysis are linked to supply and demand.Consequently, it is also the object of the present invention to providea method and a control and communication structure which permit anoptimization which not only considers isolated needs of either the powersuppliers or the end users, but which can provide an optimization basedon an overriding control which takes into consideration both therequirements of the end user and operating conditions in thedistribution network.

It is also an object of the present invention that it should be able toemploy relatively simple communication methods, while at the same timeincreasing the efficiency of the collection and processing ofinformation and keeping the costs on the investment and operating sidesat a low level.

In purely general terms the object of the present invention is toovercome the drawbacks which exist in the prior art. Moreover, theindividual end user should specifically have the ability to control hisown and influence an overriding energy consumption profile, thuscontributing to the optimization of both the total energy and powerconsumption.

Yet another object of the present invention is that the communicationwhich is necessary should be able to utilise generally availablecommunication networks and methods, as well as open and generallyavailable user interfaces to the communication systems.

In specific terms it is an object of the present invention to provide anoptimization of temperature variation and temperature conditions in amedium which has to be heated up by a local, electrically-operatedheating device.

The present invention provides:

i) a method for temperature and time control of electrically-operatedheating devices; and

ii) a control and communications structure for temperature and timecontrol of electrically-operated heating devices.

The above-mentioned objects maybe achieved by means of a method which ischaracterized in that the method comprises connecting a local controlunit with at least one electrical heating device, the local control unitbeing arranged to control the operation of one or more electricalheating devices, formulating a desired user profile for the heatingdevice, the user profile comprising at least one desired temperaturevariation with indication of a maximum permissible deviation from thisdesired temperature variation within specified periods, transferring thedesired user profile from the end user to the control system via a firstcommunication network, storing the desired user profile in a databaseprovided in the control system, modifying the desired user profile inthe database on the basis of information received in the control systemconcerning the operating conditions in the power supply network via asecond communication network, thus obtaining a modified user profilewhich takes into consideration the operating conditions in the powersupply network, including total consumption, capacity and possiblydetected error conditions, since the modified user profile should at alltimes lie within limits which are given by the deviations in thetemperature variation indicated in the desired user profile duringspecified periods, transferring control commands from the control systemto the local control unit installed at the end user via a thirdcommunication network, and continuously modifying the control commandsin the control center on the basis of the modified user profile, thusoptimizing the operation of the heating device primarily on the basis ofthe desired user profile and secondarily on the basis of the operatingconditions in the power supply network.

The above-mentioned objects and advantages may also be achieved with acontrol and communication structure which is characterized in that thesystem comprises a local control unit installed at the end user andcoupled in series in an electric circuit between the power supplynetwork and one or more heating devices, the control unit being providedin the same room, area or environment whose temperature is to beinfluenced by the heating device, a communication interface provided inthe control unit in order to receive control commands and messagestransmitted from the control system to the control unit, an interfaceinstalled at the end user for two-way communication between the end userand the control system, a data processing device, which is provided inthe control system and assigned to a first communication interface forcommunication with a communication interface in the control unit, asecond interface for two-way communication between the control systemand a third interface for receipt of information concerning theoperating conditions in the power supply network, and a database whichis stored in the data processing device and which stores a desired userprofile transferred from the end user to the control centre, andpossibly modifications of the user profile performed by the dataprocessing device, together with control commands and messages whichhave to be transferred to the control unit or the end user.

Finally, the invention may provide a local control unit which ischaracterized in that it comprises a radio communication device, a dataprocessor connected with the radio communication device, at least oneswitch device which is connected with the data processor and can beinfluenced thereby to connect electrical energy to the heating device,and at least one temperature measuring unit connected to the dataprocessor and arranged to measure the temperature in a medium which isto be influenced by the heating device, the intelligent control unitbeing arranged to be coupled in series in the electric circuit betweenthe heating device and the power supply network.

According to the invention this control unit should be able to beemployed as an intelligent thermostat device for an electrical heatingdevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference toembodiments and in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a general end user survey of control andcommunication structures according to the present invention, as theyappear in connection with an electrical power supply system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a special design of the structures in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the local control unit according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows the result of the method according to the present inventionwithout a specific temperature profile.

FIG. 5 shows the result of the method for a user profile which specifiesa low temperature variation.

FIG. 6 shows the result of the method according to the invention with auser profile which specifies a large temperature variation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The end user and control and communication structure which realises theinvention is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 for an end user 2 whois connected to an electrical power supply network 1. On the premises ofthe end user 2 a local control unit 7 is coupled in series between thepower supply network 1 and an electrical heating device 8. The end user2 also comprises a user interface 9 which is connected via a datanetwork 3 with a control system 4. For two-way communication between theuser interface 9 and the control system 4, e.g., the data network may bebased on the "Internet", with the use of software in connection thereto.The electrical power supply network 1 communicates further with thecontrol system 4 via a communication network 5. The control system 4comprises a database 11 which stores information about the electricalpower supply network 1 and user profiles which are entered from the enduser 2 via the user interface 9. The database 11 is connected to acontrol and communication processor 12 which evaluates and processes thedata which are to be employed as reference data for an optimum controlof the energy consumption for the end users 2 and which is obtained fromthe user profile stored in the database 11. The control andcommunication processor 12 further processes the information concerningthe operation of the electrical power supply network 1 and uses this,for example, to formulate a power profile for the end user, the powerprofile forming the basis for modification of the end user profilewithin limits established thereby.

The control and communication processor 12 in the control system 4 isalso connected to a radio station 13 which transfers control commandsand messages to the local control unit 7 installed at the end user 2 viaa radio link 6 which is connected to a communication device 14 in thelocal control unit 7. The communication device may, for example, be aradio receiver. In practice the radio link 6 can be based on the use ofexisting mobile radio networks (mobile telephone networks). Under thecontrol of software in the communication processor 12, control commandsare now transferred with values for regulation of the electrical energyconsumption for the end user 2, the communication for this purpose beingperformed in a 1:1 mode.

Since the system may naturally include a plurality of end users 2, itwill be possible to transfer any joint control commands for a group ofend users in a broadcast mode from the radio station 13.

Via the control and communication processor in the control system 12 andon one hand on the basis of the end user profiles which have beenentered in the database 11, and on the other hand on the basis ofinformation concerning operating capacity and operating conditions inthe electrical energy supply network 1, the system according to theinvention can, for example, in a pure forward coupling reduce the powerconsumption for the end user 2 during a given time interval. At the sametime the control system 4 can monitor the local distribution systems onan aggregated level. An aggregated monitoring of local distributionsystems can be performed by means of standard energy meters and withpulse output. The measurements may, for example, be returned to thecontrol system 4 by means of a measuring terminal and a fixed lineconnection, shown here as the communication line 5. The collected,aggregated measurement data are used in an application program assignedto the control and communication processor 12, which program generatesthe desired control commands and control functions which simultaneouslysatisfy the values given by the end user in the user profile.

FIG. 2 illustrates an application-oriented design of the control andcommunication structure which realises the present invention. As beforethe user interface comprises a local control unit 7 which is connectedin series between the electrical power supply network 1 and one or moreelectrical heating devices 8 together with a user interface 9. Thecontrol centre 4 communicates with the user interface 9 via a datanetwork 3 such as the Internet and comprises a network server 10, an SQLdatabase server 11 and an application server 12, together withcommunication processors 13a, 19, 21a and possibly a local interface 20for human/machine communication locally in the control system 4. Thevarious servers and communication processors in the control system 4 areinterconnected via a local network (LAN) 22. The network server 10executes applications for communication via data network 3, for examplevia the Internet, via the front end communication processor 19. Thedatabase server 11 executes the application for an SQL-based database,while the application server 12 executes applications for the control,communication of control commands and transfer of messages, generatesmodified end user profiles as well as power profiles on the basis ofinformation concerning operating and capacity conditions in the powersupply network 1 and communicates with the end users 2 via thecommunication processor 13a and the radio station 13b. Informationconcerning the operating conditions in the electrical power supplynetwork is obtained from the measuring terminal 21 and transferred via afixed line connection 5, as described, to a front end communicationprocessor 21a for receipt of measurement values from, e.g., localdistribution networks. These measurement values which are generated viathe measuring terminal 21b may quite simply be voltage measurements inthe local distribution network, which supplies the end users 2. On thebasis of measurements obtained via the measuring terminal 21b and thecommunication network 5, therefore, the control system 4 can monitor onaggregated level the operating conditions in the electrical power supplynetwork and generate power profiles or modifications of the end userprofiles via suitable applications. As already stated, the controlsystem 4 is dedicated to the temperature and time control of the endusers and will naturally be capable of serving a number of such endusers 2 and a number of local distribution networks connected to theelectrical power supply network 1. Since the control system 4 has beenmade largely application-oriented, employing already existingcommunication networks such as the Internet 3 or the mobile radionetwork 6 together with, for example, an application for the localnetwork 22, in order to implement the method according to the presentinvention the control and communication structure will provide systemsolutions which are both efficient as well as cost-effective both on thecommunication and the software side.

As already mentioned, radio communication from the radio station 13 tothe local control unit 7 installed at the end user 2 can be performedvia a standard generally available mobile radio system. The individualend user is given a telephone number for transfer of individualinformation and control commands to the individual local control unit 7,while a second telephone number is used for transmission in broadcastmode of messages which apply to several end users. The radiocommunication may, e.g., employ a standard calling technology such asthat used in known mobile telephone networks. The local control unit 7is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3. It is preferably constructedfrom standard components. A radio receiver 14 is connected to the radiolink 6 and receives messages from the control system 4. The controlcommands are transferred to a data processor 15 which is connected to aswitch device 16. The local unit 7 is coupled in series via the switchdevice between the electrical power supply network 5 and an electricalheating device 9. It should be understood that the local unit cannaturally serve a number of electrical heating devices 9. The electricalheating device 9 heats up a medium, such as the air in a room, the waterin a container etc. and the temperatures are recorded by a temperaturemeasuring device 17 which supplies the measurement result to the dataprocessor 15. Within the limits which have been set in a user profileestablished by the end user and transferred to the control system 4, thedata processor will now control the switch device 16 for time control ofthe electrical heating device 9 according to control commandstransferred from the control and communication processor 12 in thecontrol system 4. On the basis of the control commands a power controlof the electrical heating device 9 can also be effected via the switchdevice 16, e.g. by including in the switch device 16 a triac which ispulsed on the basis of signals from the data processor 15. The localcontrol unit 7 does not normally have its own energy source, the energyrequired being taken from the electrical power supply network 1. Thedata processor 15 may be connected to a display device (not shown) whichindicates to the end user the current control and operating parameters.In order to find these parameters the control unit may also include anot shown recording device.

If the control system 4 finds that the end user's 2 wishes based on thetransferred and stored user profile cannot be complied with due to,e.g., error conditions or capacity problems in the electrical powersupply network, a message to this effect is transferred to the end usersconcerned via the radio link 6. In this case the control system 4 willnormally control the heating device alone on the basis of the operatingconditions in the power network, based, e.g., on a measured momentarypower consumption or the voltage in the distribution network and adesired power profile. However, the message will also enable the enduser to modify the user profile, with the result that the modified userprofile replaces the original and is used for short, long or moreclosely specified periods. The end user also has the option ofdisconnecting the local control unit 7. For this purpose there isprovided in the local control unit 7 or connected thereto a localcontrol interface 18 which permits the end user to operate the localcontrol unit 7 manually. The control interface 18 can also transfer datato the said, not shown display unit.

It will be seen that whether the control of the heating device 9 isperformed manually and directly from the end user or overridden from thecontrol system 4, the control unit will basically be able to act as anintelligent thermostat device for an electrical heating device.

The extent of the intelligence will be based on the information which isavailable for the control, and a flexible optimization of the operationboth from the end user's and the power supply network's points of viewcan, of course, be obtained if the control is performed via the controlsystem 4.

A more detailed account will now be given of the effect of differentuser profiles on the resulting power consumption as a result of centralcontrol of the heating device from the control centre.

At the top of FIG. 4 there is illustrated a user profile in which thetemperature is given as constant, in the figure approximately 20.5°during a 24 hour period. On the basis of information on capacity andoperating conditions in the network the control system or the systemoperator wishes a power profile which is illustrated in the hatched areaat the bottom of the figure. It can be seen that between the hours of 8and 12 and 18 and 22 the system operator or the control system prefersnot to supply power to the end user. On the basis of the end user's wishfor a constant temperature in the medium which has to be heated by theheating device, and the system operator's desired power profile, theresulting, optimum, desired control algorithm gives a power profilewhich is illustrated at the bottom of FIG. 4, shaded and overlaid thedesired power profile. This gives a temperature variation which isindicated by a broken line at the top of FIG. 4, and it will be seenthat the temperature deviation from the desired temperature ofapproximately 20.5° C. is insignificant, but with a substantialreduction in power consumption.

FIG. 5 illustrates a user profile with a desired temperature profilewhich at intervals can deviate substantially from a desired maximumtemperature. The maximum desired temperature of approximately 20.5° C.is, as illustrated at the top of FIG. 5, between, e.g., the hours of 6and 10 and between 18 and 22. In the intermediate period the end userpermits the temperature to be reduced to 16° C. When this user profileis compared with the system operator's desired power profile, thecontrol algorithm gives the optimized, resulting power profile which isillustrated in the shaded area at the bottom of FIG. 4 and overlaid thehatched desired power profile. The resulting temperature variation forthe end user is indicated at the top of FIG. 5 by the broken line. Itcan be seen that only for very short periods does the temperaturedeviation lie more than 1° outside that which was stipulated in the userprofile.

FIG. 6 illustrates the control of a local heating device when thetemperature deviations from a desired maximum temperature or meantemperature can be substantial during some periods. During the periodfrom midnight until 6 o'clock, therefore, the user profile permits atemperature of only 12° C. which is required to be raised to 20.5° C.during the period from 6 until 10 and then to be again reduced between10 and 18 to 12°, and subsequently raised to approximately 24° C. duringthe period 18 until 22 hours, and then to be reduced to 12° from 22hours until midnight. The resulting optimum power profile which resultsfrom the control algorithm used which takes into consideration both theuser profile and the system operator's desired power profile isillustrated in the shaded area at the bottom of FIG. 5 and overlaid thehatched, desired power profile. It will be seen that the optimum powerprofile very closely approximates to the desired maximum values for thetemperature profile during the period concerned. On the other hand thedeviations from the minimum temperature are greater, since it isdifficult to achieve a completely accurate adaptation due to the greattemperature deviation and the thermal hysteresis inherent in the heatedmedium. In other words the medium will slowly lose heat after the powerhas been switched off and from a minimum temperature for heating tomaximum temperature a time will be required which is dependent on thetemperature differential in the temperature profile. On the other handit will be possible to exploit the heat hysteresis in the medium whichhas to be heated by performing the power control before the period whenthe maximum temperature is desired and where the system operatorprimarily does not wish to supply any power, with the result that themedium which has to be heated has a temperature which lies slightlyabove the desired maximum temperature. By means of a short applicationof a relatively modest amount of power and consequently a low amount ofenergy some way into the interval during which maximum temperature isrequired, the temperature profile is still kept within the userprofile's desired value by approximately 1°. This implies that even withrelatively large temperature deviations, where the deviation betweenreal temperature and desired temperature in periods outside those wherethe maximum temperature is desired, it is possible to obtain an optimumpower profile which takes account of the capacity and operatingconditions in the energy supply network, but which at the same timegives the end user the desired maximum temperature during the periodsconcerned.

There is naturally no reason why the user profiles should not includeother regulating values than time and temperature level. Energy andpower levels and time interval may, e.g., be indicated for regulatingpower, and tariffs may be specified. It should be understood thatinformation on power consumption in the distribution network is obtainedvia the communication network 5 and may be based on measurements inlocal distribution networks. These power measurements can be entered inthe database 11 and used in the control system's control processor 12 inorder to modify the control algorithms if a voltage level is recorded inthe distribution network which results in the control system beingunable to comply with the desired values stipulated in the userprofiles. A voltage drop in the distribution network is just such asituation which indicates operating conditions where the consumptionexceeds the capacity and will call for, e.g., a modification of userprofiles or a message to the end user that the user profile's criteriafor temperature and power levels cannot be observed, with the resultthat the control, for example, must now be performed on the basis of apower profile alone. However, as already mentioned, in this case otheroptions are open.

A person skilled in the art will realise that within the scope of themethod and the control and communication structure according to thepresent invention, communication, transfer of control commands andgeneration of user profiles and control algorithms can be performed onthe basis of a number of criteria whose main purpose in the finalanalysis can provide an optimization of the electrical energyconsumption with regard to both end user requirements and the powersupplier's situation. Since user profiles and control algorithmssimultaneously take account of prices and tariffs, a market adaptationcan also be achieved, as well as a cost optimization for electricityconsumption. The method and the system according to the presentinvention are therefore particularly well suited in a deregulated energymarket, where supply and demand control the market prices.

A further advantage of the method and the control and communicationstructure according to the present invention is that it can make use ofexisting radio communication networks which may either be regional ornational for transfer of control commands which are common to severalend users in a broadcast mode. For normal operation the method and thecontrol system are based on a fixed, stored user profile and generationof control algorithms, and by transferring control commands from thecontrol system the communication will substantially be one-way withoutthe use of any continuous monitoring and control of the end user inspecial communication set-ups. At the same time the power supplysystem's capacity and operating conditions are integrated with the endusers' consumption pattern, and a further favourable effect is obtainedby the fact that the method and control and communication structureaccording to the present invention can exploit functions which arealready available in the data and communication systems employed, aswell as employing application-oriented system solutions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for temperature and time control ofelectrically-operated heating devices installed at an end user in orderto optimize energy consumption and energy costs, wherein the end user isconnected to a power supply network wherein for the control there isemployed a dedicated control system which forms part of a control andcommunication structure, wherein a local control unit is connected to atleast one electrical heating device, and arranged to control theoperation of one or more electrical heating devices, comprising thesteps of:formulating a desired user profile for the heating device,wherein the user profile comprises at least a desired temperaturevariation with indication of a maximum permissible deviation from thedesired temperature variation within specified periods; transferring thedesired user profile from the end user to the control system via a firstcommunication network; storing the desired user profile in a data baseprovided in the control system; modifying the desired user profile inthe database on the basis of information concerning the operatingconditions in the power supply network received in the control systemvia a second communication network, thus obtaining a modified userprofile which takes into consideration the operating conditions in thepower supply network, including total consumption, capacity and detectederror conditions, wherein the modified user profile should at all timeslie within limits which are given by the deviations in the temperaturevariation indicated in the desired user profile during specifiedperiods; transferring control commands from the control system to thelocal control unit installed at the end user via a third communicationnetwork; and continuously modifying the control commands in the controlsystem on the basis of the modified user profile, thus primarilyoptimizing the operation of the heating device primarily on the basis ofthe desired user profile and secondarily on the basis of the operatingconditions in the power supply network.
 2. A method according to claim1, wherein if the primary optimization cannot be implemented due toexisting operating conditions in the power supply network, the controlsystem issues a message to the end user via one of the communicationnetworks indicating to the end user options for the control of theheating device, with the result that in a first option the control isperformed solely on the basis of a power profile based on the operatingconditions in the power supply network and in a second option on thebasis of a temporary change in the desired user profile, the end userbeing able to select an option for the continued control of theoperation of the heating device or alternatively to cancel the controlsystem's control.
 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein when theoperating conditions in the power supply network again permit theprimary optimization to be implemented, the control system causes a newmessage to be sent to the end user via one of the communication networksand if the control system is still in control automatically returns tothe original, desired user profile.
 4. A method according to claim 1,wherein the desired user profile further specifies for specified periodsdesired values for one or more of the following parameters: energyconsumption level, the periods during which the control of the heatingdevice should take place, together with energy cost level, the energycost level being assigned to the tariff(s) on offer during therespective periods concerned.
 5. A method according to claim 1, whereinthe first communication network is a generally available data networkfor two-way communication between the end user and the control system.6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the third communicationnetwork is a radio link network used for one-way communication from thecontrol system to the end user.
 7. A method according to claim 5,wherein the communication from the control system to the end user viathe radio link network is received by a communication receiver providedin the control unit.
 8. A method according to claim 6, wherein thecommunication from the control system to the end user via the radio linknetwork is performed in a first mode for transfer of control commands tothe individual end user and in a second mode for transfer of controlcommands which are common to several end users or a group of end users.9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the communication on the radiolink network employs a known calling system, the end user being assigneda first calling address for receipt of control commands transferred inthe first mode and a second calling address for receipt of controlcommands or messages which are transferred in the second mode.
 10. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein a data processing device isprovided in the control system for calculating control algorithms forgeneration of control commands on the basis of the desired user profileand taking into account the modification thereof on the basis of amonitoring in the control system of the power supply system and theoperating conditions therein on an aggregated level, user profiles andthe information which is processed and generated by the data processingdevice being stored in the database and the communication betweencontrol system and end user being performed via known interfacesassigned to the data processing device for each of the communicationnetworks.
 11. A control and communication structure for temperature andtime control of electrically-operated heating devices installed at anend user to optimize energy consumption and energy costs, wherein theend user is connected to a power supply network, and wherein the controland communication structure comprises a dedicate control system and oneor more communication interfaces, wherein there is installed at the enduser a local control unit connected with at least one electronic heatingdevice and arranged to control the operation of one or more heatingdevices, wherein the local control unit comprises a communicationinterface for receipt of control commands and messages which aretransmitted from the control system to the control unit, wherein thelocal control unit is arranged in the same room, area or environmentwhose temperature is to be influenced by the heating device,whereinthere is installed at the end user a user interface for two-waycommunication between the end user and the control system, wherein inthe control system there is provided a data processing device which isassigned respectively to a first interface for one-way communicationwith the communication interface in the control unit, a second interfacefor two-way communication between the control system and the userinterface and a third interface for receipt of information concerningthe operating conditions in the power supply network, and wherein thecontrol system comprises a database which stores a desired user profiletransferred from the end user to the control system, or modificationsthereof performed by the data processing device, together with controlcommands and messages which have to be transferred to the control unitor the end user.
 12. A control and communication structure according toclaims 11, wherein the local control unit's communication interface iscomposed of a radio communication device, that the local control unitfurther comprises a data processor connected to the radio communicationdevice, at least one switch device which is connected to the dataprocessor and can be influenced thereby to connect electrical energy tothe heating device, and at least one temperature measuring unitconnected to the data processor and arranged to measure the temperaturein a medium which is to be influenced by the heating device, the localcontrol unit being arranged to be coupled in series in the electriccircuit between the heating device and the power supply network.
 13. Acontrol and communication structure according to claim 12, wherein theradio communication device is a radio receiver.
 14. A control andcommunication structure according to claim 12, wherein the local controlunit comprises a device for recording and displaying the energyconsumption.
 15. A control and communication structure according toclaim 12, wherein the local control unit comprises a device for displayof the control and operating parameters.
 16. A control and communicationstructure according to claim 11, further comprising a local controlinterface connected with the control unit and via which the end user canmonitor the operation of the heating device and cancel the control fromthe control system and enter control commands.
 17. A control andcommunication structure according to claim 11, further comprising alocal control interface in the control unit at the disposal of the enduser for manual operation of the control unit.